SWARM/ACCUMULATE/CLUSTER

A course that looks at places in the contemporary art and textile worlds where artists are assembling reclaimed and everyday objects/materials to create provocative works. The lecture component includes studies in complexity theory, collecting and systems that exhibit underlying patterns. For the studio component, students will learn freeform crochet, fusible appliqué for collage, and connection techniques including riveting, beading and tying.

Look at my excitement with two very lovely hyperbolic crocheted pieces. The friendly grey one on my shoulder is a simple hyperbolic plane with an increase at one in every 3. The frilly cream one which I'm still working on is a pseudosphere with a rate of increase at one in every 6, graduating to one in every 3.

A team of "swarm-bots" negotiates challenging terrain outside a laboratory in Brussels, Belgium. A red color ring tells others, "Grab me;" blue means "stay away." Scientists study ant colonies, bird flocks, mammal herds, and fish schools to understand the simple genius of such animal swarms. Robots that mimic this complex group behavior could prove useful in a number of human applications.
(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for "Swarm Theory," July 2007, National Geographic magazine)